After being formed over many thousands of years, the Cullinan Diamond has completed the relatively shorter stint from mine to auction. The 24.18-karat “intense blue” diamond was named The Cullinan Dream after being extracted from South Africa’s Cullinan mine in 2014 and was recently sold for $25.4 million at the Christie’s Magnificent Jewels auction in New York.

The sale broke previous records and became the most expensive gem of its kind ever sold at auction. The stone was actually the largest of four shaped gems hewn from a much larger 22.52-karat rock found at the Petra Diamond mine and has been classed as Type II by Gemological Institute of America. Such gems are very rare and account for less than one-half of 1% of all diamonds found in nature, according to Mining.com.

The mine became rather famous when in 1905 a 3,106.75-karat rough produced the Cullinan I (also known as the Star of Africa), which is the largest polished white diamond in existence. The Cullinan I is now housed in the Tower of London as part of the Crown Jewels of England. The Cullinan Dream has joined a storied group of fancy coloured diamonds auctioned by Christie’s. Very recently, the Oppenheimer Blue set a world record in Geneva on May 18 when it fetched $57.5 million, making it the most valuable jewel ever sold at auction until the recent sale.